Sept 29,17

Blessed Portion Update for 9-29-17

Hell Everyone:

Tonight was the perfect weather---so many are thankful that those hot muggy temps calmed down for a bit. Many were needing extra tarps and blankets as they are preparing their homes for the cooler temps at night. It seemed tonight the biggest need was blankets, socks, hoodie and coats!!! We are desperately in need of all 3 items so please dig through your closets and consider donating to us if you have extra!

At our first stop we gathered to eat hot ham and potatoes, green beans, rolls, and candy and it was YUMMY! So thankful for that generous meal by Hamilton Church of Christ. We also want to give a BIG thanks to Nick Reinoehl and his daughter Addy and her friend Lacy. Because of them and their efforts they have been able to purchase a lot of bikes through the selling of lemonade, and homemade bracelets. Tonight they brought 6 bikes down and Nick was so kind to go back home (a 30 min trip one way) and bring back 3 more bikes so everyone who needed them was able to have transportation and they provided the locks!!!!!!!!! It is amazing what can be done with determination and perseverance regardless of what your age is. Thank you Nick, Addy and Lacy!!!

Heard a lot of good new tonight.....some talking of days clean and sober and many of jobs and finishing some hard steps to take for recovery. Heard how some are going to Celebrate Recovery and finally finding some peace and resolve within that program. Heard from Hillary and her surgery will be decided next week and so we continue to keep her in our prayers! We also met lots of new faces this week ---so many more than last week. Talked with one man who was THRILLED to get a brand new pair of pants and a Bible. He stated that he is new to town and had only one pair of pants...well now he has two, a Bible, and a few shirts!! He just thanked us over and over again and in turn WE THANK YOU!! He talked about how he is clean from cocaine and is doing ok....hes just trying to grow in his faith and he feels where he is at will enable him to do that!!! Walked away from him again reminded of how the smallest things to us are the world to someone else!!

We also went to see our friends at Catalpa Street and our friend made us this zucchini bread in the picture! When we walked in the building smelled so good!!! We sat around and played some games and just visited. Heard about their week and some issues they are battling and again pray for these men. Working a recovery program is NOT easy and they need strength!!!

Tonight we talked about the power of just one person and how one can be very influential. With all the NFL controversy it helped back up the point that even one person can bring change. We are not here to have a opinion on all of that, but to merely point out that one man made his belief known and right or wrong many are following. Some say "I'm just one person--how much of a difference can I make? Will anyone even listen to me?" One doesn't need to be a celebrity or have a tv platform to make a difference its just about taking a stand for something you believe is right---something that can help others. Maybe its standing up for Jesus Christ when others are too nervous to do. Maybe its offering to pray with someone at the grocery store when others are watching. Maybe its just visiting your neighbor and watching out for them. There are MANY ways we ALL can make a difference and trust me IT WILL make a difference and people will notice....may not be millions at one time watching but the audience of one who is Jesus Christ IS and that's what matters. So lets all understand we have the power to bring goodness to this world, we all have the power to make someone smile....just like these two little girls are. They decided on who they wanted to help and how they would do it and now today 9 people have transportation...................now that's making a difference!!

Last thing of the night was we decided to venture out a little more past our regular route to see if we could find anyone. Came upon a site and saw someone was there sleeping. Going to the side of where the book bag was I laid a water and a snack bag. To my surprise the person yelled HEY!! Come to find out a couple seconds later it was a very good friend of ours who we have been so worried about!! Didn't know if he was alive or not because we haven't seen or heard from him!! What a happy moment that was... couldn't jump up and down for excitement because I literally had to crawl up on my belly to get to him--no extra room for head to be up very high let alone stand up!! So I laid on the ground as he did and we talked and talked. Talked about what he is struggling with..and at one point didn't want me to see his face because he was embarrassed he said of how he looked.....now that broke my heart!! told him its not about that--that we all love and miss him and to that he smiled! So we held hands and prayed together before we left, and I'm hoping he will come Sunday and say hi to everyone who has missed him!!! Thank you Jesus for allowing us to veer that way or we wouldn't have known where he was!!!

Thanks to Pathway Comminity Church, Grace Summit Church, Hamilton Church of Christ, Stacy and Nina Hagerty, Jacquie Aldrich, Lori Williams, Riley, Chris Scheiber, Renee Liechty Kahn for making us snack bags, Mjs Apparel, Mark Stebing, Jennifer Lynne Stebing, Sarah Bigelow Lapadot, Auburn Massage and Wellness,to my friend who likes to not have her name mentioned...thank you for the sleeping bag!. THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE